Elevator system for loading and unloading dirigible airships



Aug. 5, 1930. T. B. SLATE 1,772,229

ELEVATOR SYSTEM FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIPS Original Filed April 28, 1926 ppgi}. STATE Patented Aug. 5, 1930 eT orriee THOMAS B. SLATE, or GLENDALE, oatrronnra, asstenoa T0 sternnanometer con- PORATION, A oonronnaron ornnvnna ELEvAron'sYsTnM' non Lemme AND nntonnrne nr'nrsrnnn arnsnrrs Original application-filed This, application is a division of my application Serial Number 105,279, filed April 28,1926. 7

The object of my invention is to provide a novel elevator system for loading and unloading the ship at stations without bringing the ship down from its flying level and without bringing it near the tops of buildings, trees. or other obstructions that would endanger the ship'while the change of passengers and freight is being made, regardless of weather conditions, and to provide a ship capable of operating day and night on schedv ule time whether the weather'is good or bad- I attain the objects of my invention by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichn Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the airship in landing position and also in flight;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the elevator compartment of the air-.

ship with the elevators shown in side elevation, a'portion of one ofthe elevators being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the elevator compartment'o'n line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and r Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the elevating mechanism.

Like numerals designate like parts in the respective views. I

I provide a novel elevator system including a pair of elevators 22 suspended by chain or cable 23. I provide pulleys 24 mounted j in brackets 61 on top of each of the elevators. I provide supports or brackets 26 on which are mounted the motors '31 and- 3% as shown in Fig. 3. I provide a shaft 28 on which is mounted a compensating pulley 27 and a large belt pulley 29 which is belted to a reversible motor 31, as shown inFig. 3.

It is contemplated that suitable depots or stations will be provided in diflerent cities.

Messages will be exchanged between stations i as to the amount of cargo carried and to be exchanged thus facilitating the transfer of passengers and cargo at stations, and to make possible the efficient use of the ca- .pacity of the ship for carrying passengers, express or mail.

April 28, 1826, Serial No. 105,279. Divided and this application filed April 14, 192?, Serial no. 183,872. Renewed December 31,1929.

At landing stations the airship is not brought to earth but passengers and cargo are delivered andreceived by means of a novel elevator system. This system includes" a pair of elevators connected to the same cable. The length of cable determines the distance from the landing base 130011118 ship and is controlled by, a single hoist. .Atter one elevator is lowered to the ground, the elevators are operated by a' single motor. One end of the cable is securely aitixed at 25 to the shell 1 and is thence threaded through pulleys 24 of one of the elevators 22 and thence over pulley 27 and through pulleys 24 of the other elevator and thence back over the idler pulley 32 to the hoisting drum 33.

insurethe elevators operating a suiiicient distancetapart to prevent contact when they pass each other at the halt-way point. lVhen the guide wires'have been hooked to the anchors on the ground. a reasonable amount of tension'isplac'edupon the wires by the hoist 33. Any change in positionl'of the ship is compensated for by letting out or taking up a suitable amount of the guide wire between the ship and anchor by the O1)"; erationio't hoist This may be regulated either by the, operator on board the airship or automatically by the mechanism illus trated in Figs. 2, 3'and l ot the drawings. 4 I provide'a suitable hook 36 on guide'wires as shown in Fig. 2; and suitable eyes or hooks; 3'? [on elevators 22 for anchoring the elevators in their lowered position on theground, and itd'esired'to' serve also as a'guide-elemont to. limit th swaying of the elevator while being raisedor lowered. The guide wires are wrapped on drums on the same shattwithone end of the main elevator cable whereby the proper relation 'as to.

length offthe Wires and-cable, respectively, is automatically maintained. As the elevator cable is double, the length of each guide wire is equal to approximately one-half of the length of the elevator cable. 1 I

This elevator system is automatically flexible to the motion of the ship in all directions without interfering with theelevator service. In other words, as it consists of two elevators, two guide lines, and as the elevators are mounted on thesame cable, one is balanced against the other so that they will operate with a minimum of power and to automatically adjust the length of the cable, as illustrated in the drawings, to correspond to variations of the ships position while the elevators are in operation. When the ship moves up and down changing the distance between the anchoring point and the ship, the

' va-ted elevator will automatically take up the portion of the cable connected with the lowered elevatorwhenever tension on the cable is slackened by movements of the airship, thereby effecting an automatic regulation of the main cable 23 to keep the right amount out,

but will not be able to take up more than the guide line will permit.

The lowered elevator may, of course, be

raised or lowered in the first instance by op- V crating the reversible motor 31, shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The guide wires answer the double purpose of getting the elevator to its proper landing; preventing it from swinging; and automatically adjusting the length of the elevator cable.

VVhat I claim is- 1. An elevator system for an airship of the class described, comprising a pair of balanced elevators operating on the same cable, means for lowering or raising either one of the elevators independently of the other, means for raising and lowering both of the elevators alternately with limited power, 3

guide wires adapted to be anchored to the ground to guide the elevators while being raised and lowered, said guide wires being arranged for automatic adjustment as to length depending on the raising or lowering of the airshipirelative to the ground where the elevator is anchored, for receiving or dis- 7 charging passenger or freight.

An elevator system for an airship of the class described, comprising a pair of balanced elevators operating on the same cable, means for lowering or raising either one of the elevators independently of the other, means for raising the elevator that is down when the transfer of passengers or freight is completed, means for lowering and raising bothof the elevators alternately with limited power, and guide wires adaptedto be detachably anchored to the ground'whereby said guide wires may be used for guiding one or both of the elevators while they are being raised or lowered.

3. An elevator system for an airship of the class described, comprising a pair of balanced elevators operating on the same cable, means for lowering or raising either one of the elevators independently of the other, means for lowering and raising both of the elevators alternately with limited power, and guide wires detachably secured to each of the elevators, said guide wires having means at their free ends for detachably anchoring the lower end of the wires'to the ground, the wires functioningto guide one or both of the elevators while-they are being lowered or raised and also functioning to prevent the elevators striking while passing in mid-air, the upper end of the guide wires being wrapped on drums, said drums being mounted on the same shaft with the main elevator cable, the'length of each guide wire being approximately one-half the length of the cable from which the elevators are suspended to permit of automatic and simultaneous adjustment of the guide wires and cable as to the distance unreeled from the airship, whereby the ship may vary in elevation without afiecting theoperation of the elevators as long as tension is kept on the guide, wires.

vl THOMAS B. SLATE. 

